I'm tired.
I doubt I'm alone. It's the end of April. We've been at this school thing for about seven months now, and it starts to drain on a person after a while. We just keep on piling up sleep debt, figuring we can always sleep on May 8. There are just so many other priorities and opportunities at our disposal that sleep hardly seems worth the time.
It's always been this way, though, right? College students pull all-nighters, hang out and enjoy themselves on the weekend, and never have enough time to sleep.
Well, maybe that's true, but it's getting worse.
According to CNN.com, college students sleep an average of six to seven hours per night. That's about an hour less than the average from the 1980s, and significantly below the 9.5 hours per night recommended by Donald Greenly, a sleep expert at Carle Clinic in Urbana, Ill.
Without enough sleep, the brain's ability to function quickly deteriorates, according to www.sleep-deprivation.com. Concentration and memory are impaired, mental reaction time slowed, and the brain falls into rigid thought patterns that thwart creative problem solving.
It should come as no surprise that studies show sleep-deprived students have lower grade point averages than ones who aren't.
Lack of sleep also impacts emotional well-being and student friendships by increasing stress, shortening tempers and sometimes even leading to full-blown depression.
"(Students) begin to get into a pattern of sleeping for four to five hours," James Clark, director of counseling and psychological services at Duke University told CNN. "They really think it doesn't bother them, but that really isn't the case."
Starting in the fall, Duke will no longer schedule 8 a.m. classes, partly in hopes of helping students to be more rested. The school is also considering new orientation programs to teach freshmen the importance of sleep.
There are more important reasons to get enough sleep than memory and grades, however.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration blames driver fatigue for more than 100,000 automobile accidents per year. Those accidents lead to 71,000 injuries and 1,550 deaths per year. Young adults are among the most likely to drive while fatigued.
Sleep deprivation has even been at least partly responsible for major catastrophes, like the Exxon Valdez oil spill.
I'm as guilty as anyone of not sleeping as much as I should. I consider putting off homework an art form, not a character flaw, and there's no doubt that costs me dearly in the sleep department. And when I'm spending time with friends, the last thing on my mind is getting home early to catch some z's.
The pressure is only going to increase as the end of the year approaches. Projects are due. Finals are coming. It's our last chance to see friends before summer or graduation.
But if we just take a little time to rest, we'll all be doing ourselves a huge favor. A little sleep could help us to get better grades and to enjoy these last few weeks with friends even more.
With all these excuses, who can resist the urge to take a nap?
Write to Stephen at stevehj@mac.com
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